Failed to get an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT at launch for MSRP? Yeah, me too, join the club, we've got plenty of members right now. This graphics card launch wasn't even the worst we've seen recently (cough, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, cough), with a feeling at least that some actual GPUs could be bought within the first few minutes if you were very fast and very lucky.
But, still, here I am frustrated along with thousands of other PC gamers, AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT-less, having once again fought a losing battle against what now feels like almost impossible odds each time a new GPU is launched. As my colleague Wes Fenlon has recently so aptly put, we all deserve better than this, and if you haven't read his piece on his misadventures in trying to buy a new GPU himself, then I'd wholeheartedly recommend it.
However, I'm staying positive. So, while we all now sit and play the waiting game until next month when the new mid-range AMD best graphics card king gets restocked, hopefully with some more cards at MSRP or even remotely close to it, I thought I would turn my mournful scrolling of GPU listings that I'll never actually get to buy at MSRP into content for PC Gamer. Not prize-winning content I grant you, but hey, I'm using this to work through my GPU-less frustration.
Specifically, I thought I would rank a bunch of the RX 9070 XT products on purely visual appearance, both in terms of card design and the box they come in. I know, riveting! But that's what things have come down to for me and thousands of other PC gamers who don't want to see their wallets raided by scalpers and middlemen just in order to buy a new graphics card. So, here we go, let's just have a bit of fun and rate some products on their visual appeal. Naturally, my opinions here are 100 per cent accurate and can be taken as objective truth.
Sapphire Pure Radeon RX 9070 XT
Box design: 8/10
Card design: 9/10
We're starting with the card I wish I'd been able to buy, the 'Pure' variant of Sapphire's RX 9070 XT offering. And, just wow! This card looks a million dollars, with a striking white design that is punctuated with some tasteful additions, such as the top-mounted blue 'Sapphire' badge, trace decal design, and 'AMD Radeon' branding. Meanwhile, the box hits almost just as hard, with Sapphire understanding the 'graphics card box' brief entirely. The futuristic sci-fi robo woman feels like classic GPU art and reveals Sapphire's heritage in this industry. A striking design that communicates you're going to get pure, futuristic pixel-pushing power. Plus, we get a good dollop of Red Team red thrown into the mix, too. Really strong. (Though I will note the bubble placement on the word 'Pure' does kinda make it look a little like 'Puke' to the casual glance. -Ed)
Gigabyte Aorus Radeon RX 9070 XT Elite
Box design: 8/10
Card design: 7/10
Gigabyte shows everyone how to do more minimalist GPU box art here, with the sci-fi, razor-sharp eagle communicating that this graphics card is incredibly fast and something that will prey upon recommended specs like the alpha predator it is. A nice flash of red on the side of the box, too, reminds you you're signing up for Red Team, while the huge 'Elite' plastered on the front, while meaningless, does add to the sense of you buying a premium product. The card itself, utilising another of the blocky, closed-case designs as used by the below Sapphire Nitro+, doesn't look incredible, but thanks to some restrained use of fan lighting and its black colourway, looks classy.
Asus Radeon RX 9070 XT TUF Gaming OC
Box design: 5/10
Card design: 8/10
Next we have this entry from Tuf. The box feels like it was designed by Tuf at like 4:53pm on a Friday afternoon. When asked by the boss, "guys, we need a design for our new RX 9070 XT graphics card box, and nobody is leaving until we smash it." I feel this is the result, just the graphics card itself slapped on the front. It is very clear, though, which is nice for a card that looks so good, and we do get some extra 'OC Edition' and Team Red stuff, too. It's playing a straight bat, though, and that's that. The card, however, hits much harder, delivering a really classy industrial look that is elevated by a premium metal-style finish with silver bolts in each corner of the face plate, some smart little decals, and really restrained (but still impactful) use of lighting in the top-right corner. The back looks like part of a dropship in Aliens, too.
Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC
Box design: 6/10
Card design: 7/10
I don't hate either the box or card, but I definitely don't love them either. The box's futuristic big 'G' is at least on brand for Gigabyte, and floats there in mid-air as if powered by some awesome futuristic technology, evoking a sense that that is the sort of magic you're going to get from the RX 9070 XT. Team Red is represented, too, and the 'OC Edition' badge tells me I'm getting a card that will be faster than standard as well. So that's nice. But is a big 'G' really what I want to see optimally on a graphics card box? Absolutely not. Then the card. While really rather understated at first glance, it actually boasts a unique pitted-texture finish on its frame, one that gives it character, while the angled corners and 'Code/Cyborg' decal is cool in a totally pointless way. The backplate also looks like something you'd find on a Metal Gear, adding an overall sense of this being a sci-fi component.
PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil
Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 9070 XT
Box design: 7/10
Card design: 5/10
The box design on this Sapphire Nitro+ card is really striking, with a metallic wolf radiating power, authority, and a hint of danger, too. Clearly, AAA games will quake in their boots when they come face to face with this GPU! However, the card itself looks like something that would be made by Porsche Design, as in, it looks premium but really rather dull at the same time. It's too safe! The card doesn't radiate a sense of power and, in most systems, will just fade into the background. The only hint of colour comes from the glowing bar situated under its, admittedly stylish, case vent.
Asrock Radeon RX 9070 XT Steel Legend
Box design: 2/10
Card design: 7/10
The box is just terrible. So boring! I mean, guys, seriously. You have all that space to use and the best you can do is a steel colour and a few traces and bolts. Yawn! The card, though, now we're talking! This looks to me like a slightly less classy version of the Sapphire Pure, but it may appeal to some gamers more due to its glowing fans and name plate. My favourite part of the GPU's design is the angled, two-tone casing, with matte grey giving way to white. However, that casing sure does look plasticky, so it loses marks, too.
PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Hellhound
Box design: 4/10
Card design: 5/10
I feel this is a missed opportunity in both box and card design. The 'hellhound' image on the box looks too small to me, and also undercooked in terms of overall design. Surely the hellhound should look fiercer, larger and be more dynamic than that? Also, I'm not sure what is going on with the random triangle behind it, either. The only thing I can think is it was chosen due to its sharp angles in an attempt to up the aggressiveness of the total visual. The background has a 'whoosh!' effect, which does deliver some sense of speed, but overall I'm left wanting more. Then the card. The front looks plasticky and boring, with nothing of note to write home about. And, while the back has a cool angled vent on the backplate, as well as the aforementioned hellhound image printed on it, it just seems to communicate budget to me.
PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Reaper
Box design: 5/10
Card design: 2/10
When you call something the 'Reaper', the unstoppable power of death springs to mind, so I can kinda see what PowerColor was going for here. With this card you will bring death to bad frame rates, or bring death to the inability to turn on ray tracing in the latest AAA games. The design on the box leans into this to a degree, with the Grim Reaper's scythe shown cutting through a dark shroud (I'm not sure what the shroud is supposed to symbolise, maybe your inability to play the hottest new games at 'Experimental' settings?), but it all just feels a little underbaked and not very impactful. The scythe is too small and nowhere near dynamic enough. Meanwhile, the card is basically a write-off, with absolutely nothing of note on it. Very disappointing.
Asrock Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC
Box design: 4/10
Card design: 3/10
The box is okay, in a nondescript, not offending anyone kinda way, and I like the large 'Taichi' branding and Red Team colourway, but that's it, with nothing else of note to draw you in. But, to be honest, after you see the card then maybe you'll think the box design a masterpiece as, simply put, this card is a Jackson Pollock of a hot mess. Totally random angles, colours, textures and RGB lighting all smash together in the most unappealing way. It's like you asked a 9-year-old boy to design your graphics card for you, or Homer Simpson. The only saving grace is the backplate, which has some cool-looking, tasteful cogs on it.
Conclusion
So, there you go. Ten RX 9070 XTs rated by me purely on their aesthetic appearance. Out of all of these, the card I am most fond of is the Sapphire Pure, as it not only looks a million dollars but also comes from a manufacturer I really respect. I've bought multiple Sapphire cards in the past and they've always delivered for me. The painful truth is, though, that my buying decision will almost certainly come down to what card I can get at MSRP, or close to MSRP, as while I love my GPU to look good, I much prefer my bank balance to look good instead. I'll keep my fingers crossed for both myself and all other PC gamers looking to pick up one of these cards. Good luck, guys!
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